More than 150,000 gallons of oil and water recovered since oil spill in Kill Van Kull, Coast Guard says

More 156,000 gallons of oil and water mixture have been recovered since the Friday night spill that dumped oil from a barge into the Kill Van Kull and washed up on Bayonne and Staten Island shores, according to officials.

In an update on the U.S. Coast Guard website posted Monday, officials state that a unified command, including Gallagher Marine Systems, New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, under the U.S. Coast Guard has been formed in order to effectively respond to the oil spill.

As of Monday evening, 301 contractors have been deployed and are using more than 47,000 feet of containment boom to recover spilled oil, especially in critical areas such as Shooter's Island.

In additon to boom, 29 skimmers, 12 vacuum trucks and 13 storage barges are also working to contain the spill.

“We don't have any concerns at this time,” said Bayonne Assemblyman and Director of Public Safety Jason O'Donnell. “The administration has been working with the coast guard who is in charge of identify all of the affected areas. There is no immediate health hazard and we just want to see it cleaned up.”

The update also notes that Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research has sent a group of experts to survey areas where birds and other wildlife might be affected and have set up a rehabilitation center for any severely affected wildlife.

As of 2 p.m. Monday, more than 2000 birds were sighted near the spill. Only 15 had a minimal amount of oil on them and did not need to be captured for rehabilitation.

Personnel at Mays Ship Repair in Staten Island reported around 11:30 p.m. Friday that a fuel tank aboard a barge was leaking fuel during a fuel transfer. Although the amount of oil spilled remains under investigation, officials initially reported that the oil leaked from an isolated fuel tank carrying a maximum capacity of 112,000 gallons.

All waterways remain open but mariners are being cautioned to move through the area with caution due to pollution.

In an email, Coast Guard Public Information Officer Mike Hanson said there are no additional updates for Tuesday.